A new bohemia awaits...

I must admit I have a little bit of a soft spot for Jo Malone London. Renowned for designing some of the world’s most loved fragrances, in my opinion they do what they do, and they do it rather well, creating beautifully packaged scents for your body and home; so it’s always exciting when a new collection comes along.

The recently launched ‘Mimosa & Cardamom Collection’, from Jo Malone, has been crafted by Master Perfumer, Marie Salamagne. Mimosa & Cardamom is unlike any other Jo Malone Colognes. Over the last year or so, the brand has started to become a little bit bolder with its offerings. Being a die-hard Lime, Basil & Mandarin fan I thought this might be a little too spicy and overly heady but it's totally the opposite.

Describing the inspiration for this fragrance, Marie revealed, “Jo Malone London took me on a journey to the home of the orientalist painter, Frederick Leighton. Leighton’s House is a hidden gem in Holland Park (drool), London. It was built as an incredibly decadent showcase for his collection of more than 1,000 tiles, collected in the Middle East, and is filled with vibrant pattern.” She added, “We looked at places like Marrakesh and Tangiers, which were bohemian havens in the sixties, for people such as the Rolling Stones to literary characters like Sebastian Flyte, in Brideshead Revisited.

Jo Malone London wanted to draw on this inspiration, but also bring a sense of modernity to the scent. So, together, they looked at what the bohemian spirit means today, from new bohemian fashion, with its eclectic prints, colourful pattern and drapery, to a love of travel off the beaten track.

As for the perfume, which grew from this, Marie enthused, “Mimosa is a symbol of elegance, simplicity, tenderness and friendship. Behind its apparent fragility, the flower captures a strong feminine energy. Mimosa absolute is the ultimate reference for green and floral, powdery long lasting notes. A slight woody and honeyed note differentiates it from other origins.”

Marie Salamagne worked with a 100% natural mimosa extract, sourced from Provence. The young branches are harvested, by hand, and the extraction is carried out immediately within two to three hours on fresh flowers in Grasse and Tourrettes.

Marie summed up the nature of the scent, adding, “Mimosa & Cardamom is infused with sensuality, and much of this comes from the mimosa itself, an unusual powdery and neyed floral that perfectly captures the bohemian character.”

The latest collection from Jo Malone represents the struggle of holding onto the last remnants of summer (sob, sob) but also secretly welcoming in the cosy evenings, perfectly. Softly floral with a delicate soapiness to it, the cardamom gives it warmth; it seems to smell different every time I spritz. In my opinion, it has a certain exotic vibe; for those worried that is overly spicy please rest assure that it is more rich and warming, than spice based. The fragrance’s campaign, starred by Brazilian model Kamila Hansen, clearly reinforces the oriental inspiration behind it, as well as its bohemian reference. So, if you’re looking for a new fragrance to remind you of faraway places, or something a little adventurous, then Mimosa & Cardamom Cologne is for you.

Available now, the new Mimosa & Cardamom fragrance is available as a cologne, body and hand wash, body creme and candle. So, howsoever you wish to enjoy this mesmerising scent, there is a product out there for you. I love the cologne, but the candle would be a particularly lovely treat for your home, as the winter nights draw in.

To celebrate and emphasise the inspiration for this fragrance, Jo Malone has added a desktop tile creating tool to its website. Visitors can create their own tiles, based on those collected by Frederick Leighton, and download the finished article, to create desktop wallpaper, for their PCs. When you make a purchase of any of the Mimosa & Cardamom Collection your purchase will be fastened with a delightful ceramic tile.

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